Entertainment

The Chrome Web Store Is Coming, and Google Has Big Plans for It

Google has a plan to become a force in everything from TV to gaming, and today it's become clear that plan involves the upcoming Chrome Web Store.

Video game website 1up was able to grab some photographs of a presentation Google delivered to a room of game developers at the GDC Europe conference. The presentation showed off the Chrome Web Store, a marketplace for HTML5 apps Google announced during its I/O conference earlier this year.

The presentation revealed some new details about Google's new app store. It takes a lot of cues from Apple and its successful iPhone app store. App icons, categories and "Top rated games" are all part of the new interface. We find the "Apps your friends like" section to be especially intriguing: is Google going to use Gmail, Buzz or something else to determine who your friends are?

Unlike Apple's app store though, Google won't be taking a 30% cut of revenues generated; in fact, it will only be taking a "processing fee" of around 5%. That could be a major draw for developers who want to keep more of the money their apps earn. According to the presentation, the Chrome Web Store is launching in October.

What's Google's Plan for the Chrome Web Store?

Two of Google's biggest enemies, Facebook and Apple, have been threatening Google's dominance of the web through two different platforms: social and mobile. Facebook's growth shows no signs of stopping, and it makes the company a real threat to Google's core search and advertising businesses. Apple, on the other hand, has attracted scores of developers to its iOS platform while products such as iAds threaten to eat into Google's profits.

The Chrome Web Store will play a part in Google's attempt to respond to both of these threats. Popularizing web apps is the best way for Chrome OS to become a viable alternative to Windows, Mac OS X or iOS, while getting users to stick around on a web property it controls. Expect it to also play a big role in Google's attempt to take over the television.

Google can make a lot of different plays with the Chrome Web Store. The search giant is pitching its marketplace as a big platform for gaming, a market Google covets. It's sure to be a key selling point of Chrome OS, which is supposed to launch later this year. The Chrome Web Store gives Google a path to competing with game consoles through integration with Google TV. It could even become the app platform for the company's much-rumored Google Me social network.

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